Jewelry clasp



Jan. 9, 1940. INER 2,186,438

JEWELRY GLAS P Filed Jan. 15, 1959 INVENTOR. Morris We/ner- &. 421i;

ATTORNEY.

safety. catch, both Joy-a simple'operation. In re- Patented Jan. .9, 1940 v JEWELRY-.CLASP Morris 'Wei'ner, Bronx, N. Y., assi'gnor to RalphW. I

Biggs 8.; 100., Inc New "-tion of New York I The invention relates :to. jewelry pclaspsor snaps which act as connectors or coupling devices for the ends of wrist watchbandsaor cords, bracelets, necklacesand other jewelry. v

The principal object of the invention is-to pro- .vide. an extremely simple and efficient safety catch. In devices of this nature the-.main catch oftt-imes-becomes loose-and the watch ,01 piece .of jewelry is dropped and may be broken or lost. In accordance with the present inventionif thamain catch should be inadvertently releasedthe safety catch will positively hold theends of the watch cord orbracelet'in proper'relation toeach other. In removing the piece of jewelryzfrom a-person the main catch'is first released and then the placin the-piece-of jewelryboth the main catch and safety catch are simultaneouslyrclosed,likewise by a simple and natural operation. I

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specificationproceeds. Referring to the drawing forming a-partfthereof and in which a preferred embodiment ofzthe. invention is illustrated: I I f v Fig. 1 is a 'plan view showing the claspcon- ,necting the ends of wrist-watch cords;

Fig, 2 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation and istakenonline 2-9-2 .of Fig; 1, both thersafety and main catchesbeing in their closed. or locked positions; I

Fig. Sis alongitudinal sectional view taken in the same plane as Fig.2, showing themain catch open and the safety catchin its closedorlocked position; v, i I Fig. ,4 is a view similar toFigs. 2 and. '3 showing both catchesintheir opener released position; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail cross-sectional views taken .on the 1ines 5'5 and 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is adetail perspective View of themain catch element; 5

Fig. 8 is adetail perspective view orthe safety catch element; and v I Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of. the'box or body element of the catch.

Referring again to thedrawing, in Fig. 1 the clasp or snap is designated by the, reference numeral Hi. The cords I I are retained in end members I'2and Hi. The end member-121s provided 7 with the conventional loop M .for engagement with the clasp as hereinafter described. and the end member 13 hasa pair of arms -|5-j-,-l5.which simulate the loop 14 and these arms .may be xsoldered or otherwise secured to the side walls lower flat face 38 engages the spring bottom 53,0

' V The clasp proper is of extremely simple construction comprising only, three parts, the body amember Zilwhich as shown in Fig. 9 is of box-like formation, the safety catch 2|, Fig. 8, and the ,Yrna-in catchZLFig. '7.

The .boX-dikebody -:member' is open at one end and has-side walls 25 andan end wall 26. The

side walls 25 arefprovided with openings v2"! fer a pivot pin hereinafter described. The outer edge of the end Wallis undercut at 2.8 to provide a {10 seat for the main catch as hereinafter described.

On ts innerv side the end wall 2.6 is formed as indicated at 29 toactasa seatIfCr the, safety catch hereinafterdescribed. The foregoing m'akes,'f.or a

open ended slots 31 to accommodatethe loop M on the end member 12.

.The main catch member 22 is of shallow box formation and has at one end-a downwardlyuex- 25 tending projection 35 which Vmay be slightly sloped on its inner side, as indicated at.36, ,for .lockinggengagement with the seat 28 on the body member. At its opposite end the maincatch is open end ,of the body member as shown inFig. 2. '{Ihealng 27 isU-shaped in cross-section and its .of'the body member. Thus the maincat'chis T spring-pressed either toits open orclosed position. as will be evident from an inspectionof Figs:s2,:3 and 4. This construction has two advantages, one bein that should theseat on the v,40-

main. catch member 'become'worn the catch will :stillbe urged to itsclosed position and held there, and the other beingthat when the. catch isiurged and held in the open position as shown in Fig-.4,

it will be positively held out of the way-toperr'nit Thesafetycatch member;2l, showninFig. 8,

is provided with an opening 45 which in the assembled position is aligned with the openings 21 and 39 and the hinge pin 20 passes through all of these openings. Thus the main catch and safety catch have a common hinge. This makes for a simple and economical arrangement both as to manufacturing and assembling. In its assembled position the pivotal end of the safety catch is embraced by the walls of the depending hinge lug 37 thus making for a strong and rigid construction. The safety catch member is some what resilient and has a tongue 36 on its free end which co-operates with the seat 29 to hold the safety catch in its locked position. The free end of the safety catch member is also provided with an undercut projection 47: which is engaged by the thumb nail to facilitate releasing the safety catch.

From the foregoing it is thought to be apparent that should the main catch 22 be inadvertently released the safety catch will hold the parts in locked position. When both catches have been opened the loop 54 may be lifted from the slots 3!. In looking the clasp the relation of the main catch to the, safety catch is such that in closing the main catch it contacts the safety catch and both are thus closed simultaneously with one operation.

The end members l2 and it are provided with means for holding the cords H in position. Plates 58 are pivoted at 5! in the end members. These plates have teeth 52 which impinge on the cords and Spreaders 53 which are entered between the cords and force them against the side walls of the end members.

Such changes in details of construction and arrangements of parts as would occur to one skilled in the art are to be considered as coming within the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clasp for securing the end members of a piece of jewelry together, said clasp having in combination, a body member of box-like formation, the bottom of said body member acting as a spring, open slots in the side walls of said body member to accommodate a loop on one of said end members, a main catch member pivoted in the side walls of said body member at one end thereof and acting as a cover for said body member, a depending hinge lug formed on the hinged end of said main catch member, said hinge lug having flattened areas for engaging the spring bottom in said body member so as to normally urge said main catch"member to an open or closed position, and said hinge lug being U-shaped in cross-section and acting as a closure for that end of said body member where said main catch member is hinged, a safety catch member, the pivoted region of which is embraced by the arms of said hinge lug, and a pivot pin passing through said safety catch member, the arms of said hinge lug, and the side walls of said body member, said safety catch memberin the closed position of the clasp resting over said loop in said open slots so as to confine said loop in said slots, and the upper surface of said safety catch member being in contact with the under side of said main catch member.

2. A clasp for securing the end members of a piece of jewelry together, said clasp having in combination, a body member of box-like formation, open slots in the side walls of said body member to accommodate a loop on one of said end members, a main catch member pivoted in the side walls of said body member adjacent one endthereof and acting as a cover for said body member, a safety catch member pivoted in said body member on a common pivot with said main catch member, saidsafety catch member in the closed position of the clasp resting over said loop in said open slots so as to confine said loop in said slots, and the upper surface of said safety catch member being in contact with the under side of said main catch member and seats formed in the end wall of said body member opposite to the end in which the catches are pivoted, one of said seats being formed in theouter edge of said end wall to engage the free end of the main catch member and maintain it in its closed position, and the other of said seats being formed on the inner side of said end wall to engage the free end of said safety catch member and maintain it in its closed position.

3. A clasp for securing the end members of a piece of jewelry together, Said clasp having in combination, a body member of box-like formation, the bottom of. said body member acting as a spring, open slots in the side walls of said body member to accommodate a loop on one of said end members, a main catch member pivoted in the side walls of said body member at one end thereof and acting as a cover for said body member, a depending hinge lug formed on the hinged end of said main catch member, said hinge lug having flattened areas for engaging the spring bottom in said body member so as to normally urge said main catch member to an open or closed position, a safety catch member pivoted in said body member on a common pivot with said main member being in contact with 'theunder side of I said main catch member and seats formed in the end wall of said body member opposite to the end in which the catches are'pivoted, one of said seats being formed in the outer edge-of said endwall to engage the free end of the main catch memher and maintain it in its'closed position, and the other of said seats being formed on the inner side of said end wall to engage the free end of said safety catch member and maintain it in its closed position.

4. A clasp for securing the end members of a piece of jewelry together, said clasp having in combination, a body member of box-like formation, the bottom of said body member acting as a spring, open slots in the side walls of said body member to accommodate a loop on one of said end members, a main catch member pivoted in. the side walls of said body member at oneend thereof and acting as a cover for said body member, a depending hinge lug formed on the hinged in end of said main catch member, said hinge lug having flattened areas for engaging the spring bottom in said body member so as to normally urge said main catch member to an open. or closed position, and said hinge lug being U- shaped in cross-section and acting as a closure for that endcof said body member where said main catch member is hinged, a safety catch member, the pivotal region of which is embraced by the arms of said hinge lug, a pivot pin passing through said safety catch member, the arms of said hinge lug and the sidewalls of said body member, said safety catch member in the closed position of the clasp resting over said loop in said open slots so as to confine said loop-in said slots,

ber and maintain it in its closed position, and the other of said seats being Iormedon the inner side of said end wall to engage the free end of said safety catch member andmain'tain it in its closed position.

MORRIS WEINER. 

